What's In Front Of You
by Harmonian4eva
Summary: AU. An incident with a boggart in third year has some interesting repercussions. Will Harry learn from this of will he fail to see what's been in front of him?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first fan-fiction so please realize that I'm not that good of a writer, but if you disagree with that then please inform me. I have written this for far too many reasons to list, but the main one being that I am a delusional Harmonian and proud of it. But now about this fan-fiction, it takes place in third year and I am hoping to continue seventh year. So far the only pair that I am sure is going to happen is H/Hr. But now on with the show. I hope you enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing though I wish that I did own Harry Potter and Hermione Granger.**

Chapter 1**  
**

It was an ordinary day. The students filed into their Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Harry took a seat between Ron and Hermione and pulled out his copy of _The Standard Book of Spells Grade Three _as his classmates did the same. At that Remus Lupin entered, looking as ragged as ever.

"You won't be needing those today," he said motioning for them to put there books away. "We're going to be doing something a little more…" he paused for a moment, "hands on."

The class quickly put away their books away, curious as to what their lesson would be today. They wouldn't get their hopes up though. Their previous two teachers hadn't exactly been the best, so they weren't expecting much.

"Now if you'll please follow me," said Lupin, "and remember to bring your wands." They did as they were told, and followed Professor Lupin to a huge wardrobe which was shaking chaotically. "So who can tell me what is in there?" he said as he pointed at the wardrobe.

Hermione's hand shot straight up just as he finished the question. Lupin took a moment to scan the class to make certain that no one else had the answer.

"Yes Miss Granger," he said easily realizing that no one else knew.

"It's a boggart, sir."

"Good. So can you tell me what a boggart looks like?"

"No one knows," Hermione replied. "Boggarts are shape shifters. They take the form of what a particular person fears the most."

"That's correct Miss Granger, ten points to Gryfinndor," Lupin said. "As Miss Granger has stated, a boggart is a shape shifter that will take the form of whatever one's greatest fear is. So the best thing to do when facing a boggart is to not face it alone. When facing a group of people a boggart can easily get confused and become something that would not be terrifying at all. Of course there is also a simple spell to repel a boggart. Now repeat after me, without wands. Riddikulus."

"Riddikulus," the class repeated.

"Good. Now Neville could you come up here please."

Neville pointed at himself in a dumbfounded way and looked around nervously. The Slytherins would have found the look on his face priceless. Fortunately the Gryffindors were sharing this class with the Hufflepuffs. Neville cautiously made his way to the front of the class and stopped right in front of Professor Lupin.

"So Neville what frightens you most?"

Neville opened his mouth and replied in such a small voice that even Professor Lupin, whom was standing a few feet from him, could not make out what he said.

"Sorry, could you repeat that Neville?"

"Pro-Professor Snape," a roar of laughter erupted behind him.

"Professor Snape," Lupin said as he chuckled. "Yes, frightens all, and I believe you live with your grandmother."

"Yes, but I don't want that boggart to turn into her either." Another roar of laughter came as Neville attempted to obscure his face from view.

"It won't Neville, it won't," Lupin said encouragingly. "Now I want you to picture your grandmothers clothes only her clothes, clearly in your mind."

"She carries a red handbag…" Lupin interrupted his description.

"No need to describe, Neville. If you can see so shall we. Now what I want you to do is…" he leaned down near Neville's ear and whispered something that was inaudible to the rest of the class. "Can you do that for me?" Lupin asked. Neville nodded. "All right. Wand at the ready. One… Two… Three," Lupin flicked his wand at the wardrobe forcing it open.

A shadowy figure was inside. As it walked out it was revealed to be Professor Snape. He stepped forward Neville, who was sweating profusely. Though absolutely terrified, Neville raised his wan and loudly said the incantation.

"Riddikulus!"

Instantaneously another roar of laughter came, much louder than the previous two. The boggart that had taken the form of Snape was now wearing an odd hat with a stuffed turkey on it, a long green dress, and was carrying a red handbag.

"Good Neville, very good," Lupin said. "Now if everyone will please form a line."

The students eagerly scrambled to form a line, pushing and shoving desperately to get a good spot. One after another they confronted the boggart, each time more humorous then the last.

The class was flowing by smoothly. Harry was quite anxious for his turn when, without warning, an ear-splitting scream filled the classroom; causing most of them to put their hands up to their ears. Everyone began to gather at the head of the class to see what all the commotion was about. Harry hurriedly made his way towards the group. He knew who had just screamed and he was genuinely concerned. As he shoved his way through he couldn't but notice that everyone was now looking at him strangely. They gazed at him as though they were afraid of him. When he finally made it out, his first sight was Hermione. Her hands were covering her face and she was obviously crying. He noticed some tears escaping her hands. He wrapped his arms around her and began to rub her back. She didn't seem to realize that he was there and just continued to sob.

Harry cautiously turned around. What he saw next caused his entire body to freeze. On the ground in front of them was a bloodied body, but it wasn't just any body. It was him. He could hardly breathe at the sight of himself dead, but soon remembered what exactly was going on. He returned his attention back to Hermione. She had finally stopped sobbing, and was now drying off any remaining tears that continued to pour down her cheeks. Her eyes were glued to the floor. She couldn't bear to look Harry in the eye, to see the concerned look on his face. Suddenly she turned around and burst out of the room leaving a trail of tears on the ground. She fled so quickly that she forgot to gather her things, and so Harry decided to get them himself and follow her. As he made his way towards the door a hand held him back. He turned and saw Lupin.

"I know you're concerned for her, but right now I think it's best to let her have some time on her own," he said calmly, "besides class will be over soon. You can go after her then."

"I guess you're right," he said as he proceeded to take a seat next to Ron.

"Mental, isn't she? I mean it couldn't have been that bad," Ron said. "What did she see anyway?" he asked curiously.

"She saw…" Harry began.

"Wait. Don't tell me. Let me guess," Ron said interrupting him. He started to rub his chin. "I've got it. She saw that she got less than perfect on her grades."

"Ron, be serious about this. She was really hurt."

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I couldn't help it. So what did she see?"

Harry gulped and felt as though he was unable to speak. He still hadn't fully comprehended everything that just took place.

"Well, what she saw was…" the words came slowly out of his mouth.

"Was what? Spit it out!" Ron said.

"She saw me."

"You? Why would she be afraid of you?" Ron asked bewilderedly.

"I wasn't finished, Ron."

"Oh. Well go on."

"She saw me… dead."

Ron opened his mouth to respond, but couldn't find the right words. Instead he simply gave quick glances to Harry then to the empty seat beside him where Hermione would usually be.

This just made Harry feel more uncomfortable. He needed to talk with Hermione about. Yet the very thought of that conversation made his stomach churn. He was completely lost in thought until Ron finally spoke up.

"So are you going to talk to her about this?" he asked ending the awkward silence that was growing between them.

"I guess," he retorted. "I'm not sure. I don't want to make her talk about this if it's uncomfortable for her, but still…"

"I know what you mean, mate," Ron said sympathetically. "It's your choice if you want to talk to her about this."

"I don't want to, but I think I should," Harry said finally before giving out a large sigh. Apparently this wasn't an ordinary day after all. Not an ordinary day at all.

**A/N: Well that's it for now. Please review.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry about the long wait for those of you who had to wait. I've had a lot of school projects that I had to get done. It was really unfair almost every one of my teachers had something for me to do, but I won't bore you by rambling on. This chapter is shorter than the last mostly because I had to do some major editing. I left out a huge chunk which wasn't really necessary and wouldn't really fit in. The next chapter should be longer though, but enough about that. Now the story continues.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but I wish I did.**

Chapter 2

Harry cautiously made his way up towards Gryffindor Tower. Hermione had been avoiding him all day since the boggart incident. Fortunately news hadn't spread throughout the school. Any amount of information that was worth gossiping about was usually known by the entire school mere hours after it happened, and when one considers the fact that Lavender and Parvarti where in the class at the time, it can become quite surprising that absolutely no one seemed to know that anything happened.

Of course Harry didn't mind any of this, not that he actually noticed. His thoughts were occupied the entire day. After hours of searching to no avail he concluded that it would be best to just corner Hermione in the common room before she went up to her dormitory. Though it seemed that after ever step he took, his pace began to slow down. Part of him hoped that she had indeed retreated to the safety of her dorm. This was going to be uncomfortable enough, but then add the fact that he never been good with women, then one would be sure that this would be quite the fiasco.

He reached the Fat Lady and said the password. He stepped inside and wasn't surprised by what he saw. The whole time he had known that she simply wouldn't run away. She hadn't before so why would she now. She was just sitting there with a book in her lap which would be_Hogwarts, A History_ no doubt.

"Hermione," he said tentatively as he took a seat next to her. She looked up at him and closed her book. "If it's all right with I'd kind of like to about…"

"What happened in Professor Lupin's class," she said knowing full well that he disserved an explanation.

He nodded and scooted closer to her.

"I'm just worried about you. Sirius Black is out there and he's trying to kill you, and I know that your safe here at Hogwarts, but what about when we have to go back home," Harry's hand slipped on top of hers and he gave it a reassuring squeeze. "I just can't stand the thought of losing you. You're my best friend, and to be completely honest you're also my first real friend and I…" her words faltered as tears began to run down her face.

"It's okay. You don't have to say anymore," Harry said as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Harry, promise me something," she pleaded while holding on him as though her life depended on it.

"Anything," he replied as he pushed back a bit to look her in the face.

"Promise me that you'll never leave me, that you'll always be there for me just like you're here for me now."

"Of course, Hermione. I promise you I'll always be there for you."

They broke apart and Hermione stood up.

"I think I'll be going to bed now, I'm a bit tired."

"Okay. Good night."

"Good night."

The moment Hermione had disappeared from view Harry collapsed on the couch. He let out a huge sigh of relief and continued to simply lay there. He was very thankful that thinks worked out quite well. Moments passed as his mind drifted. Eventually he heard the portrait door open.

"Oi, Harry that you?"

"Yeah it's me."

"So umm…did you get a chance to talk to her?" Harry nodded. "So is she alright?"

"Yeah, she's fine."

"Well that's good to hear. How 'bout a game of wizard's chess?"

"Sure."

The game progressed as it usually did which meant that Harry was being overwhelmed, though he was doing considerable better, or Ron was just going easy on him. By the time they were about to start another game the common room had all but filled up. Dean and Seamus walked up to Harry and Ron and both took a seat.

"So Ron, did you tell Harry?" Dean asked.

"Tell him what?"

"Don't tell me you forgot. It just happened a little while ago down in the Great Hall," Seamus said.

"Oh yeah. You mean that one guy from Slytherin that jinxed Malfoy."

"Somebody form Slytherin jinxed Malfoy?" Harry asked who was quite confused.

"Yeah, apparently the Slytherin Quidditch team is replacing him for the next game because of his arm," Ron explained putting an emphasis on the word arm. "I'm pretty sure he just doesn't want to play against you, but anyway this other guy seems to be the one replacing him. Malfoy didn't like it at all and he started yelling about how they could have chosen anyone else. It was really annoying. I was just about to tell to shut up, and when I turned around the other guy had jinxed him. Malfoy was on the floor. It was hilarious. You should have seen it, mate."

"Who was this guy?"

"Dunno. I've seen him around before, but I dunno his name. That doesn't matter though, we'll find out soon enough. Your first game is against Slytherin. I wonder if he's any good at playing seeker. I hope he's good then maybe he can replace Malfoy permanently. The look on Malfoy's face if he gets replaced should be priceless."

"Did he get in any trouble?"

"That's the best part. He only got a lecture from Snape. I guess that's the perks of being in Slytherin. Though I still don't get why Snape just let someone off with a lecture after he just attacked his favorite student."

"He probably just doesn't want to punish Slytherins."

"It doesn't rally matter. As long as Malfoy get's what's coming to him that's fine with me. But let's stop talking about that, how about a few more games then we go to bed?"

"Sure."

The day was done and Harry hoped that the events that had occurred earlier that day would just blow over. Little did he know that things didn't exactly go as well as he had thought they did, and that at that very moment a girl was crying into her pillow all because of the words she couldn't say.

**A/N: Thank you for reading. Please review.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: It's almost Christmas time, and so here is my gift to all who choose to accept it. I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope you enjoy it as well.**

**Disclaimer: I sadly own nothing. If I did you'd know**

Chapter 3

She was lying on her bed, her eyes wide open. The sleeves of her light blue long sleeve shirt, which matched her pajama bottoms, were slightly wet. Her bushy brown hair, which she had wrapping around her finger was currently tied into pigtails. Her chocolate brown eyes were red and puffy from crying and her pillow was damp due to her tears.

She tossed and turned in her bed until she found a more comfortable position. The long day had made her weary and tired. Focusing her gaze on the clock, which she could barely see due to the lack of light, she noted that it was nearing midnight.

Hoping it would help her fall asleep, she wrapped her covers more tightly around her. The warmth from her actions though only left her with a sense of longing to be held in a warm loving embrace by a certain green eyed wizard.

The thought of those eyes brought tears back to hers. Her frantic sobbing, which had subsided and hour ago, started once more, but she quickly regained control of herself. Slowly she raised herself into a sitting position. Her eyes glanced around the room from four-poster to four-poster.

After being certain that everyone was still sleeping peacefully, her legs began to quietly move off the bed. She slipped on her slippers and cautiously made her towards the door. Navigating her way through proved quite difficult. Not only was it dark, but her body also appeared too tired to follow orders from her brain. By the time she reached the door she had stub her toes on many an object including her own trunk, and had nearly stepped on her cat's tail.

She stumbled down the stairs and into the common room. She soon found that there was an odd but peaceful calm that consumed when one ventures there alone in the middle of the night. She took a seat on a red couch opposite the fireplace. Still being tired she dropped her head on the couch and positioned her legs to dangle over one of the couch's arms.

She tilted her head slightly towards the fireplace and stared blankly into it, all the while taking into account her options.

On the one hand she could simply hide her feelings which she had been able to do quite well so far. The friendships had been so long denied from her would remain intact, and everything would return to normal. But did she truly want things to return to normal. If they did then she would continue to pine for the boy she never though she was good enough for, the boy that captured her heart the first moment that her eyes had locked.

On the other hand she could confess her love. This was a risk though. If he didn't feel the same then their friendship might fall apart. The chances of that, she thought, were quite high. She was nothing but a bossy, bushy-haired, bookworm. She couldn't even imagine that he could ever love her. For why would he want her when there were plenty of witches that would die to have a chance at the boy-who-lived, many of which were far better-looking than herself?

"I need to stop thinking about this. Our friendship is strictly platonic," she said in attempt to convince herself. Her feelings for him had never been strictly platonic, and she was certain that nothing could change that.

'What am I supposed to do?' she thought.

She closed her eyes, not really caring if she were to just fall asleep. Her mind wandered to earlier that day. It had happened so surprisingly. She should have known that her greatest fear would have his death.

She should have gone to the back of the line, but instead her intellectual curiosity got the better of her. She just had to try for it out herself to prove that she could do it. Of course it was in nature. She never was the one to pass up an academic challenge, which was something that she never regretted until today.

'Maybe he'll just forget about this,' she thought hopefully, 'What am I thinking of course he won't just forget about this. And though he may not be the brightest boy ever he'll eventually piece it all together. It's probably better if I just tell him myself,' she reasoned.

She went over the possibilities in her head once more. In the end she had concluded that the best course of action was to just tell him. Hopefully he would feel the same, and if he didn't then at least she would know. Though this may have been one of the few things in which she wasn't too enthusiastic in learning the truth about.

'I'll do it. I have to,' she told herself mentally.

'_You will?_' a voice in her mind asked. '_And how can you be so sure?_'

'Because I'm a Gryffindor.'

'_So?_'

'So it means that I'm supposed to be brave and courageous.'

'_Supposed to be?_'

'No. It means that I am.'

'_But don't you remember that the sorting hat had considered putting you in Ravenclaw?_'

'Of course I remember, but that's not important.'

'_Not important? It's very important. Instead of being brave and courageous you'd be intelligent and clever which is something that you already are._'

'But in the end I was sorted into Gryffindor.'

'_Maybe it was a mistake._'

'Well, I'll prove right now that it wasn't.'

As she got to her feet, she was quite certain that her lack of sleep must have made her lose her mind. Why was she about to do something that she knew would end up horribly? Why was she about to wake her best friend up in the middle of the night to admit her feelings for him? And why did she have to prove to herself that she was indeed a Gryffindor? The answers to these she did not know, but she did know that she couldn't keep this a secret much longer.

It seemed like a simple task, but obviously it wasn't. In fact this may have been the most difficult she ever attempted in her life. She made her way to the stairs that lead to the boy's dormitories. She crept up the stairs slowly and upon reaching the top opened the door to his dormitory.

Making her way through the all the clutter on the floor, she couldn't help but notice how peaceful he looked. She sat down on his bedside looking down on him with caringly. Her chocolate brown eyes glistened under the light of the moon as she watched over him.

Her hand reached out, and she began to caress his cheek. The warmth of his skin made her heart leap. Her hand started to travel upwards and stopped at his scar. She ran her index finger along it as she thought about how such a little thing could have such an impact on someone's life.

He obtained that scar when he was almost killed, and by having that scar he was always been marked not only as savior of the wizarding world, but also marked him for death. Of course everyone would die eventually, but death just seemed to loom over him.

She then kissed his scar wishing that he never had to go through all of this. She had nearly forgotten why she came up here as she began to run her fingers through his hair.

By this time she had unconsciously moved her entire body to lie next to him, which could be considered a good thing or a bad thing because at that moment he began to move in his sleep and his arm moved around her waist.

It was too much for her so she reluctantly removed herself from his bed. If he had just woken up at that moment, she didn't even want to think what would happen then, though she did have to wake him up. But as she knelt down beside his bed she found that she couldn't go through with it.

Everything was just so much simpler when he was asleep.

"I know you can't hear me, and to be truthfully honest I'm not sure I want you to hear what I'm about to say, but I have to say it," she took a deep breath before continuing. "I love you, and I hope you love me too."

After she finished she pressed her lips against his for a chaste kiss. It wasn't much, but she would cherish that moment forever because deep down Hermione Granger knew it was as close as she was going to get in winning the heart of Harry Potter.

**A/N: I will safely assume that most of you who read this will be disappointed about how this chapter ends, but no need to worry they will get together eventually.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Once again I apologize for the lateness of this chapter. I hit a snag of writer's block which is readily apparent in this chapter. It's not really much of a chapter at all but I still hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't anything unless I really do but can't remember. (Like that's ever going to happen)**

Chapter 4

The day had passed and now it was morning. Hermione got up from bed and prepared herself for the day. She found little sleep the night before, and so she lazily found her way to the common room. Once again she found it empty, and once again she found the silence to be comforting.

She took a seat and pulled out some reading material while she waited for Ron and Harry to get down. Several moments passed and now the common room had begun to fill up. Since there was still no sign of either of her friends she continued to read until she heard their familiar voices descending the stairs.

"Now that's something, mate. That really is," Ron said.

"What are you two talking about?" Hermione asked.

"Oh nothing, it's just that Harry had this dreamed."

"What was it about?" Hermione inquired further.

"It's actually pretty silly," Harry said before laughing. "I dreamt that a girl kissed me in my sleep."

'Oh no, please don't tell me that he actually remembered that. He couldn't have remembered that, could he? Her was asleep during the whole time,' Hermione thought. She brought her book closer to her face to hide the redness growing on her cheeks.

"So is that all?" she finally asked.

"Yeah, that was it," he answered as he took a seat. "But it felt different."

"How so?"

"It didn't feel like a dream. It felt…real and something about that girl felt so familiar."

"Really? What did she look like?" she asked while mentally cursing at herself. She was certain that if continued to inquire about his dream that he would figure something out.

"I couldn't really see her face. All I could tell was that she had brown hair and brown eyes."

"That sounds like Hermione," a voice said from behind them. They turned around to see Neville. It appeared that he had just gotten up.

"What was that, Neville?" Harry asked.

"I just said that that sounds like Hermione. What are you talking about anyway?"

"Nothing important," he answered dreamily, he was obviously deep in thought. He placed a hand to his chin, and gazed at Hermione. She could tell that he was comparing her to the girl in his 'dream' so she pulled out a book to cover her face.

There was an uneasy silence in the common room as Harry continued to process what he had just heard.

And then it happened.

"I think Neville's right, it does sound like you. I guess I was dreaming about you. I wish all my dreams were that nice," she lowered her book slightly and her caught sight of the redness of her cheeks. "Hermione, are you blushing?"

"What!? No, of course not," her cheeks grew into a deeper shade of red.

"You don't have to be embarrassed because I dreamt about you, but I'm flattered that you would be."

"I am_ not_ embarrassed because you dreamt about me," she said in an annoyed tone.

"I think your cheeks are telling a different story," he continued to tease her.

"Harry James Potter, your cute little antics are growing a little thin."

"So you think I'm cute?" he asked with a playful grin.

"You can be so infuriating sometimes," she complained as she shook her. "Look, I'm getting kind of hungry. Why don't we get some breakfast?"

"That's the best thing I've heard all morning," Ron said as he got up from his seat. "I'm starving."

It was typical Ron to always be thinking about food, and typical was a word that could describe the days that followed this one. Classes continued as normal.

Snape continued to be an obnoxious git, Trelawney continued to predict Harry's untimely and premature death, and Lupin's class was the only one that everyone, excluding the Slytherins, was interested in.

Had it not been for that class, Harry would have certainly gone insane. That of course was understandable. Prior to this year he never truly enjoyed that class, but perhaps that was because the previous professors had been less than competent.

Though things took a drastic turn as Quidditch season approached. Oliver had called a meeting to prepare themselves for their first match.

"As you all know this is my last year here," he began, "And despite all my efforts to win the Quidditch Cup, I have yet to do so. This is my last chance, and I know I can count on every single one of you," he took a dramatic pause, "But for us to win we need to be in top shape; we need to be prepared. Our first match is against Slytherin and with Malfoy out with his 'injury' they're playing with a different Seeker. Now do any you know anything about this kid?"

There was a moment of silence.

"Nothing? None of you know anything about this guy?" the entire team shook their heads. "Great, this is just great." He began to pace with a worried expression on his face. "This isn't that big of a problem," he mumbled to himself. The rest of the team watched him patiently. "Well we might not know what to expect out of this kid, but then again it probably won't matter. Everyone knows that we have the best team in the school and that the only reason we haven't won that Cup yet is because of injuries. Soon will be the time for us to prove that, and we are going to prove that." There was an unusual glow in his eyes which left his fellow teammates in awe.

Practices became far more intense than the previous year. This did wonders for Harry's already natural talent for flying which seemed to improve from practice to practice, but had an opposite effect on his academics. That wouldn't have bothered him much if hadn't been for the constant naggings from his professors and Hermione, and so at this moment he was truly dreading what was about to happen.

As with most days practice had taken up a good portion of the day, except that today had been extended. The first match was fast approaching and Oliver thought that it would hurt to spend some extra time training.

He stepped into the common room and found a seat next to Ron and across from Hermione.

"Harry where have you been, it's getting late?"

"I was at practice, you know that."

"But at this time? You have more important things to do, and besides it's just a game."

"Just a game?" Ron asked incredulously. "How can you say something like that? Quidditch is far more than a simple game. I will never understand how you think." He returned to his work as Hermione began to glare at him.

"Nevertheless you still need to do your work, Harry."

"Hermione, he's exhausted. You should just let him go to sleep."

"Ron, he _needs_ to do his work, and so do you."

"No I don't, I'm done. Well almost done."

"Good, then you can leave while I help Harry."

Ron huffed in annoyance and left rather reluctantly. He shrugged at Harry and gave him a sympathetic look before he ascended the stairs.

"And don't even think about getting out of this, Harry. I'm willing to stay up all night if I have to."

Hours passed and still Harry had yet to complete every bit of work. He was almost at the point of regretting those hours of Quidditch practice, almost. So instead he decided to look on the bright side, sadly though the only bright side to this was that he didn't have to beg for Hermione's help.

He groaned in frustration as he started on his Divination homework.

"Why are you forcing me to do _this_ homework?" he protested. "You don't even like that class."

"Maybe not but I still do the work and so should you."

"What's the point? All she does is predict my death," he groaned in frustration. "I wish I had chosen a different class, but it's too late for that now."

"Actually, Harry, it's not," he looked up at her with a bewildered look on his face. "You can still take different classes next year, but you'd have to take a test."

"A test?" he asked as his hope was fading.

"Yes. It would go over everything that you would need to know prior to taking next years class."

"I guess I'm stuck with Divination then," he said gloomily.

"Harry you need to stop thinking like that. You would do fine academically if you actually tried, and besides I'll help you if you want."

"All right, what class would you suggest I take?"

"I would say Arithmancy, but it's not taught during Divination, so perhaps Ancient Runes."

"What don't I take both?"

"Well if you want to you can, but it is more work."

"Didn't you just say that I'd do fine academically if I just tried?" he asked her teasingly.

"Yes, I guess I did. All right then get started on this tomorrow. Deal?" she asked as she extended her hand towards him.

"Deal!" he grasped her hand and felt an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach as he gazed into her eyes. He shook his head as he attempted in futility to understand what was happening. "Why don't we go to sleep? It's getting late."

"Okay, but you still need to finish this work."

"Fine, I'll finish it tomorrow. Good night."

"Good night, Harry."

**A/N: Well that's it for now. Thank you for reading. Have a nice day, or night depending on when you're reading this.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Well here I am again. I am in a pretty joyful mood right now. I had recently obtained my scores for the PSAT. I did fairly well if I do say so myself. Though it did help me prove to myself that I am a mediocre writer at best. I did badly in the writing skills portion of the test. Maybe I'm not cut out for this writing stuff, but hey I love to do it anyway.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing at all, so there is no way that I own Harry Potter**

Chapter 5

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon. The sun was shining bright and there was a nice cool breeze, and it quite unlikely that anyone would spend such a gorgeous day cooped up inside. Thought here he was sitting in a chair in the library.

His eyes were glued to the piece of parchment that Hermione had given him. On it were some notes on the basic uses of Arithmancy. He had been for quite some time, and though he found all of this to be fascinating he had also began regretting the day when accepted this task. Though let it be said that his regrets were based on his lack of sleep and not on the difficulty of his assignment. Oddly enough he actually enjoyed these little study sessions that had started having recently. Something important to remark though is that these did indeed become study sessions for all subjects rather than just Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. It took Hermione quite a while to convince Harry about her new arrangements, but it was shown that she had far more resolve than he did.

He reread the notes as he awaited Hermione's return. At the moment she was busily looking through the selves as she sought out a particular book which she thought would help Harry's understanding of Arithmancy.

His eyelids felt heavy, and his head began tilting forwards, nearly falling upon the table. He shook his head in a futile attempt to stay awake. Moments later his head had fallen.

Soon Hermione returned after remembering that she previously checked out the book she had been searching for. A smile crept upon her face as she saw him.

She placed a hand on his shoulder and shook him gently. There was no response so she shook him again with a little more force.

"Harry," she said. "Wake up."

The response she receives is not the one she wants as he begins to snore. She sighs in frustration and repeats her actions. This time his eyes flutter open for a moment but he remains asleep. On her third attempt she finally is able to wake him after lightly smacking him on the head.

"Now that wasn't necessary. I would've woken up eventually and besides I was having a nice dream."

"Oh. So you were dreaming about me again, were you?" she questioned him teasingly.

"Ha ha very funny, but then again I guess I deserved that."

"Yes you did."

Hermione then went on to explain that she already had the book and so they ventured off to Gryffindor Tower. As they walked Hermione couldn't help but give slight glances towards Harry from time to time. She truly enjoyed their time together especially because it was just the two of them. Ron would never come, and Hermione was more than happy to oblige him. Yet she did often worry about Ron. He seemed to be fine despite the fact that he was being left out by his two best friends.

They continued to walk and as they turned a corner they bumped into Oliver.

"Ah, Harry I was just looking for you. I want you to go to the Quidditch pitch."

"Why?" Hermione asked as she hid her irritation.

"Because the temporary Slytherin seeker is out there using the field, and I want Harry to study him, find some weaknesses in flying style that kind of stuff."

Harry nodded his head in understanding as he changed direction towards the Quidditch pitch. Hermione sighed in annoyance before following him. When they arrived they saw something that left them in awe. On the field was a boy around the same height as Harry though he was probably a bit taller. His hair was black, slightly long and tied in a short ponytail. He appeared to be well built, but not necessarily muscular. He apparently was using a Nimbus 2000, but it was hard for either of them to believe that. There was a certain grace upon him as he flew. Harry's eyes followed him closely and quickly caught onto something he could take advantage of. His observations allowed him to see that this seeker had difficulty with sharp turns. The only question now was how to use that against him. It was at this moment that he decided to consult Ron. He was the Quidditch expert after all.

I didn't take much time to explain the situation to Ron once the two found him. He immediately gave an answer.

"That's simple; all you need to do is the Wronski Feint."

"Wronski Feint? What's that?"

Ron looked down at his feet in disappointment. He sighed and then went on to explain. "When you perform the Wronski Feint you pretend that you see the Snitch near the ground. Then if you're lucky enough to get the other guy to follow you, you should pull up at the last moment and he should come crashing down."

"Ron, I don't think that Harry is thinking about hurting anyone," Hermione said in a bossy yet sympathetic tone.

"Hermione, the guy's a Slytherin. I'm pretty sure that if he does get hurt then he'll probably have deserved it," Ron reasoned.

"Well even if he does deserve it, I still don't like it," Hermione said pointedly. "I mean how do you know that Harry will be able to pull up in time? He might crash."

"Of course he might crash. It's an extremely difficult technique. There are hardly any professional players who can pull it off successfully."

"What!?" Hermione screamed. She looked outraged. She turned to Harry and pointed her finger at him. "Don't you even think about trying that."

"Why are you getting all mad for? Harry can pull it off. He's loads better most seekers."

"That doesn't mean that he won't get hurt."

"But it does mean that he has enough skill to pull off the Wronski Feint."

"No it doesn't."

"Yes it does."

"No it doesn't."

"Yes it does."

They continued on like that for several more moments, the tones of their voices growing louder as they went on until someone yelled at them from across the room.

"Can the two of you shut up and stop bickering like an old married couple?" Dean seemed to be occupied with something important at the moment and obviously wanted some quiet.

"We are not arguing like an old married couple!" the pair yelled simultaneously. They gave each other glares than turned their backs to one another.

"You could have fooled me," Dean replied. "But I do need you to shut up if I have any chance at finishing Snape's essay. Otherwise he'll probably give me detention, and there is no way that I'm going to miss a chance to go to Hogsmeade."

A sudden pang of realization hit Harry at that moment. Dean's last few words rang through his mind. He had forgotten all about Hogsmeade. Forgotten about how much he wanted to go, and how there was no way that he could. The cheerful disposition that he had just mere moments ago had faded. His change in mood had obviously apparent in his face because just a second later Dean asked him if he was okay. Harry explained his situation in a glum tone.

"That's too bad. I'm sorry you can't come," Dean said as he went back to work feeling guilty about what just happened.

"Yeah, me too."

"It's not that bad, mate. The two of us can still bring you back loads of stuff," Ron said in what he knew was a futile attempt to make his best friend feel better. "Right, Hermione?"

"Yes, of course."

If he hadn't been feeling blue at the moment he probably would have laughed. He found it odd that Ron and Hermione would always stop arguing if he was feeling down. Not that he was complaining about it. It was actually nice to not have them at each others throats.

"Thanks," he tried and failed to force a smile. Instead he drifted in thought about what to do during that time. He hadn't much too do seeing as Hermione had persuaded or rather forced him to catch up on all his homework. He concluded that this was the opportune time for him to some sleep. At least something good would come out of not visiting Hogsmeade.

The week flew by rather quickly, and now here he was waiting for the moment that they would leave. As he bid his farewells to his best friend an explosion was heard from where most of the students were huddled.

"Mr. Hunter! This is your last warning! You should know better. Someone could have been seriously hurt!" McGonagall's voice rang through the crowd in such a way that it seemed that whoever made her mad didn't know her too well. She may not look very frightening but she still had a presence about her; a very intimidating presence.

"Lighten up. No one got hurt, and besides a have a very important reason for doing this," said a boy with black hair that fell to his shoulders. McGonagall stared at him in disbelief. "Yeah, I have a very good reason. You see I'm uh…testing these…to see if um…if um if they will hurt people or not. See completely reasonable," the boy let out a weak chuckle, a sign of his defeat. Luckily for him though McGonagall only gave him a stern look before continuing her previous activities. Apparently she had decided not to waste her energy on him.

Harry was brought back to the matter at hand and gave the best smile that he could give at the moment as his friends walked off into the distance. He felt a sense of longing and something else. He felt sorrow, but not because he missing out. He felt alone, but not because he was alone. He felt empty, but he didn't know why. And so as he strolled back to Gryffindor Tower he couldn't help but feel as though something were missing.

**A/N: Now something that I think I should say now is that everything that I've been writing so far and what I am continuing to write is in a way an introduction to years four, five, six, and seven. Hope that explains why the plot does not seem as well developed as it could be, but then again the plot is well developed if you read between the lines.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Well this is a surprise. This is my fastest update ever. I hope it's not too rushed. I was just hit by a sudden stroke of inspiration. This chapter continues right were the previous chapter left off. Hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer: If I did own this then you would be reading my work off the internet would you?**

Chapter 6

Harry slumped towards Gryffindor Tower, but once he found his way to the common room he easily saw that his plan for getting some well deserved rest was out of the picture.

The moment he stepped through the portrait door he began being hounded by the Creevey brothers. If he didn't know any better he would have thought that they were waiting for him.

He escaped their company by explaining that he needed to get some homework done. This of course was a lie, but a very believable lie. No one other than his professors, himself and Hermione actually knew that he had completed all his work.

He hadn't even told Ron yet, but that primarily was because he knew that Ron would go insane if he knew the depth of Harry's current study sessions.

It had actually gotten to the point in which it almost felt second nature, almost but not quite. And seeing that it wasn't second nature there was no way he was going to start studying now, but the question still remained as to what to do now.

The library would be a nice, clam, quiet, and peaceful place right now, but the idea of going there alone wasn't too appealing. It would simply be a little too quiet if he were alone there.

Then he thought that perhaps today would be a good time to get in some Quidditch practice, but as he thought back to earlier that day he realized that the weather conditions weren't exactly ideal. That wouldn't be much to complain about, but he also had to consider the fact that there was really little more he could do to prepare for the game short of sabotaging the opposing team's brooms.

There still remained the option of returning to the common room and enduring the Creevey brothers while attempting to get to sleep. He did his best to think positively, to think that they would allow him to get some sleep, but he simply could not see that happening.

So here he was walking aimlessly throughout the halls of the castle. His began to feel heavy. Therefore he was now dragging himself around the halls. He sighed in frustration over his lack of planning for this day.

He had finally decided to endure the Creevey brothers, but as he turned a corner he caught a glimpse of something through the corner of his eye. It was something, or perhaps it is better to say someone that shouldn't be here right now. He followed her down the hallway and around a corner.

He was greeted to the sight of Hermione Granger weeping on the floor in the fetal position with her back to the wall. He reached out a tentative hand to grasp upon hers. She flinched to his touch but she relaxed soon after. Though things changed the moment she brought her head up. As she looked up at him she shook off his hand and stood up. She made a move to run out of the hall, but his Seeker reflexes allowed him to catch her in his arms before she could make her escape.

"Let go of me! Let go! Just leave me alone!" she cried as she was squirming around in his arms. Her flailing ceased after a time being and she proceeded to simply cry while she was within his grasp.

"Hermione, what happened?" he loosened his grip hoping that she wouldn't attempt to run again. "What's wrong?"

She broke away from him and turned on her heel to look him in the face.

"What's wrong?" her voiced was hoarse. "What's wrong? You're what's wrong. You just don't understand, do you? You can't see how much you're hurting me."

"What are you talking about? I would never…"

"Of course you wouldn't. I know you wouldn't," she said solemnly as tears ran down her face. "But that doesn't mean that you're not because you are. And it hurts, Harry, it hurts terribly."

"Hermione…" that was the only word that could escape his lips. The events that were transpiring right before his eyes was something he could not easily comprehend.

"There are some things I wish I could tell you, but…" her eyes turned away from his. "If I do tell I know it would just hurt more," her words had become cracked than before and she seemed to have more difficulty letting the words out. "I thought I knew what I had to do, but I see now that I was wrong. I'm sorry, Harry, but I think we should stop being friends."

His body froze as his mind finished processing her final words. He looked into her eyes as he began to question what had just happened. Had he misunderstood what she had said? Was she really suggesting that they end their friendship just like that? Was he really hurting her? And if so how? And why did it affect her so?

He opened his mouth to protest against what she had just said that they should do, but found that no words would escape from his mouth. His breathing became heavy and his eyes fell to the floor. In his mind he could wonder what in the world was going on.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Upon releasing the breath he looked up once more, but found that she had disappeared. Instead he saw a grim figure of darkness seconds before he collapsed upon the floor.

When he awoke he found himself propped in a chair in a familiar yet not so familiar room. It definitely had been the office that Lockhart had occupied the previous year, but it surely didn't look like it. I looked quite the opposite in fact.

"Ah you're awake. Feeling better?" Lupin questioned.

"Yes I'm fine," he responded as he recalled the events in his mind. "But what happened to the Dementor, and what about Hermione?"

"That was no Dementor you saw back there. Nor was that really Hermione Granger."

"What?" Harry's mind had already taken enough. He wasn't in the mood to try to understand why things were happening as they were at the moment.

"You see, Harry, as you were wandering the halls you encountered a boggart," Lupin explained.

"A boggart? But how could…And why did it…And…I don't understand. This makes no sense at all."

"I must confess that I don't understand it myself. Never had I heard of a case were a boggart could speak or change while it focused on one person," he looked to be deep in thought.

"But professor, the things that I saw, what did they mean?" he asked hoping there was an answer a reasonable explanation, one that wouldn't take a great amount of time to understand.

"I'm sorry, but think that question you must answer for yourself," there was a knock no the door. "Come in."

The door swung open and the figure of Severus Snape came walking in carrying a goblet filled with some sort of potion.

"Potter, it's a surprise to see you here. So you've finally accepted the fact that you are not the all powerful wizard others proclaim you to be, and have decided to seek out the help of one your father's old friends," Harry didn't respond partly because he was too exhausted from events prior and also because of the never ending flow of revelations he had been occurring. Then again one couldn't properly call them revelations seeing as he had yet to fully understand what everything meant.

"Actually Severus we were just having a little chat. Would you like to join us?" Lupin asked pleasantly.

"As fascinating as that sounds, I think I'll pass. Here's your potion. Be sure to drink that immediately."

"I will. Thank you."

Snape placed the goblet on Lupin's desk and waltzed out of the room. Upon closer inspection Harry found that it looked like a potion that he had read about while studying with Hermione. Unfortunately he could not name said potion. Once he was certain Snape was gone Harry spoke. "You knew my father?" he asked.

"I knew both your parents. Two of the greatest people I've ever known. I miss them both dearly," he paused as he reminisced on better times. "It is truly a shame that you were only able to share a small amount of time with them, although that small time seems to have had a lasting impression."

A smile crept its way onto Harry's face.

Lupin extended his arm for the goblet which was previously left by Snape. He brought it close to his mouth before sighing. "It's a pity that salt makes it useless."

With those words another revelation came to Harry. Lupin's last remark allowed him to remember what that potion was. His eyes went wide as he learned yet another thing this day.

"I take it from the look on your face, you know what this is," Lupin said plainly.

"But professor if that's…Then that means you're a…you're a…"

"Yes, Harry I am. I hope you won't think less of me because of that. I know that this is a lot to take in. Especially given everything you've went through today. I believe a bit of sleep would do you good."

Harry completely agreed with his sentiment. He took it as his cue to leave and did just that after giving a proper farewell.

The rest of the day went by like a blur. Ron and Hermione coming back form Hogsmeade, them giving him sweets and an assortment of many other products, the Halloween feast. He didn't pay much mind to what happened then.

Things were just so complicated. It had been a long day, and he hadn't even been able to get the rest that he wanted. He had learnt much during this day of revelations, but he had yet to learn what he was meant to learn.

**A/N: So did you like it? Was I too predictable? I think I was, maybe. Anyway I'd like to talk about a different subject. Namely I would like to change to the subject of the character that will be properly introduced, hopefully, in the next chapter. So far I have given you a few details about said character. Obviously he's an original character, and I would like to hear your opinions on him thus far. I know that there isn't much information, but I would really appreciate it if you were to speak your mind on the topic. Thank you very much, and until next time.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Just so it is understood this chapter starts in the middle of the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin. I have done that for two reasons. One I have no idea how to write a Quidditch match, and two I wanted to get over with it as soon as possible so I could introduce my new character.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my new character.**

Chapter 7

He could hear the thunder strike behind him. There were flashes of lightening that blinded him momentarily. Not exactly the ideal conditions for Quidditch.

He swerved to his right dodging a Bludger. Finding the Snitch through the heavy rainfall had proved difficult. Neither he nor the opposing Seeker had seen even the smallest bit of it.

Fortunately Gryffindor had been taking control the entire match. But they were only leading 80-60. There was a small margin for error, and if he didn't catch the Snitch soon they would have lost anyhow.

The commentary by Lee Jordan is hardly audible, and Harry is astounded how he can actually make out his words through the storm.

"Angelina Johnson has the Quaffle. She passes to Katie Bell. She loops around Flint. She's almost at the goal. She's got it and…Oh! She hit by a Bludger from Bole. Now Warrington's got the Quaffle. He passes to Montague. Who passes to Flint. He passes back to Warrington. Warrington shoots and," Lee gave an aggravated grunt. "So the score is 80-70 with Gryffindor leading by ten."

The game was taking a turn for the worst. When the game had begun they had been able to quickly get ahead. Yet keeping their lead proved to be far more problematic.

Harry scanned the opposing Seeker on the opposite side of the Quidditch pitch.

'At least he hasn't found the…' his thoughts were cut off as the young man bolted from his position. 'Oh no, don't tell me that he…'

"And it looks like the Slytherin Seeker, Hunter, has found the Snitch."

Harry sped off into the direction of his competition. He was much further from the Snitch than the opposition but fortunately his opponent's inability to make tight turns gave him the opportunity to catch up.

They were neck and neck. This was it the match was coming to an end. All he needed was get some advantage. If he could just get a few feet or at the very least a few inches then he'd have this won. That was far easier said than done.

Neither could get an advantage over the other. It seemed that it would now all come down to luck rather than pure skill. Not the most helpful thought to pass through Harry's mind at the moment. His body had almost gone completely numb due to the cold, and it was already taking a great amount of effort not to fall off his broom. Whether such was the case for the other young man, he did not know though it would not really matter if it were.

The Snitch began to gain speed and so did the opposing Seeker. As Harry was about to do the same a chill came down his spine. He knew what it was instantaneously. He attempted to escape the Dementors, but failed. He blacked out as he began dropping at an alarming speed, hearing a distinct voice from the crowd.

He awoke in a bed in the hospital wing. The constant chattering that came from overhead made it difficult to regain his sense of equilibrium. He hadn't even opened his eyes yet, but the clamoring of the people surrounding his bed informed him that he probably hadn't been out for long.

He opened his eyes and was immediately smothered in a hug by Hermione. Images of what had happened previously flashed through his mind. He could hear her screaming out his name as he fell. His thoughts were interrupted though when a voice rang out form the direction of the entrance.

"So it seems the Boy-Who-Lived has yet again escaped a terrible, terrible death," the occupants of the hospital wing turned their attention to their new guest and upon seeing him some of them gave menacing glares. "Bad joke, huh? Thought so."

"What are you doing here?" Ron asked rudely.

"To visit the Golden Boy of Gryffindor, of course. Is there anything wrong with that?" from the looks that he was receiving one would assume that there was something wrong with that. "Oh wait, it's because I'm a Slytherin isn't it? Look um…I don't care if you don't like me. I don't even care if you end up hating me," he had a childish attitude about him as he spoke. "Just don't judge me because I'm a Slytherin. It's not like I chose to be one. Not that I'm ashamed of being one. I'm rather proud of it. It's just that well…you know," he cautiously approached the bed in which Harry was on while dragging his broom beside him.

"I don't believe that we have had the pleasure of having proper introductions," he extended his had towards Harry. "The name's Gabriel. Gabriel Joshua Hunter. And you obviously need no introduction," after shaking Harry's hand he looked towards Hermione. "And if I'm not mistaken you are Hermione Granger."

She nodded her head in response.

"I've been very much looking forwards to meeting you," he earned perplexed looks from those surrounding him. "Yes, you see I've heard many things about you," he continued as he ignored the bewildered looks he was receiving. "Many horrible, atrocious things about you and from what I've heard I safely assumed that you must be a wonderful person."

The looks he was receiving earlier were replaced by blank stares as they all thought that the person in front of them was completely insane.

"Well that shows why none of you are in Ravenclaw. I heard that from other Slytherins. I thought that was clear," he sighed. "I really should have thought this out better, but then again one can't expect much out of the most hated person in all of Hogwarts."

Hermione was about to interject due to his comment but he cut her off.

"I know what you're about to say but it is true I am the most hated person in all of Hogwarts. Exhibit A," he pointed towards his clothes. "As you can see I am a Slytherin. Therefore I am immediately hated by Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs. That in itself wouldn't be so bad, but considering that I'm not 'worthy of being a Slytherin' as some say," he emphasized the words both in his tone and with gestures with his free hand. "I am also hated by the majority of Slytherins."

He broke into a big grin as though his entire situation was completely hilarious, which it could be from certain point of view.

"But as I was saying it is a great pleasure to meet the girl who's greatest fear is the death of her best friend," Hermione shuddered as the memory returned to her. "You shouldn't be ashamed of it. It shows true character, and sadly the only other thing that can show true character other than one's greatest fear is one's greatest desire.

"At least that's what my mom used to tell me. To think what she would say now if she learned what my greatest fear is," he paused as he thought about the possibility.

After he was finished with his thoughts he raised his broom and brought it to Harry.

"After what happened today I thought you should have this," Harry looked at him bewilderedly.

"Thanks, but I don't need an extra broom," he said as politely as he could manage.

"Extra? What are you…Oh," a look of realization struck his face. "You haven't told him yet. This is going to be awkward."

"Haven't told me what? What's going to be awkward?" he began to get worried but did his best to keep calm which meant he wasn't do a good job.

"Well, Harry," Hermione started, she was nervous and her voice was trembling. "After you fell off your broom it kind of…"

"Flew into the Whomping Willow," Ron finished as he saw that Hermione could not continue. "And if you remember what happened to my wand last year. Well your broom is in a worse condition," he revealed the remains of Harry's Nimbus.

Harry's face fell. He felt his breathing stop. His Nimbus, something that brought him great joy was now shattered to bits. To say that this information hurt him would be a huge understatement.

"So as I was saying," the Slytherin boy continued. "Here take it," he said as he once again raised his broom towards Harry. "I won't need it anymore. Malfoy's made a 'miraculous recovery'. Besides I can get a better broom, and you need one right away."

"Um…thanks but you should keep it," Harry said uncertainly.

"What? Afraid that this is some sort of trick? Get in good with Harry Potter than give him a broom that'll make him fall to his untimely death. Is that it?" he said with a smile. "Look you don't have to worry about me trying to kill you because if I were then I'd take a more direct approach," once again his attempts to be humorous failed.

"No it's not that," Harry answered honestly, though he was thinking something along those lines. "You should keep it and try to permanently replace Malfoy as Seeker."

"Okay," the other boy answered uncertainly. "If that's what you want, but you're going to regret this. Next year I'm going to hand you your first real loss. Now I love to stay and get to know all of you, but I have a previous engagement which I must attend to."

He turned to leave and walked towards the exit before turning around once more.

"But before I leave I want to ask something. Do any of you happen to have any Dungbombs or some sort of fireworks and some dye?"

"Why do you ask?" Hermione inquired with a suspicious look on her face.

"On second thought forget I asked. In fact forget that you even met me in the first place. Actually don't, unless of course I made a bad first impression. In which case feel free to forget all about me. I should get going now," and so he was gone.

To say that what had just happened was odd would be an appropriate statement. Whoever this kid was, he was different. He was a Slytherin, but didn't exactly act like one. He seemed honest enough, but was he? Harry's experience with Slytherins had not exactly a pleasant experience and so it would come as no surprise that he didn't trust this Gabriel.

His thoughts soon drifted from that topic though as he looked upon the remains of his Nimbus. This broom had become an important part of his life and now it was destroyed. He had been experiencing quite the year thus far and parts of him were not too excited to see where his path would lead him.

**A/N: So what do you think? Primarily this chapter was made to introduce Gabriel, and so the plot was not pushed forward much. So what I want to know is if you liked him or if you hated him. Did he seem too childish? (There is a reasonable explanation for the childishness) I would also appreciate it if you watch carefully as he develops and to tell me if he starts to sound as though he is perfect. (I will do my best to avoid that, but you never know) Well that ends things thus far, though I'd like to say that there is a fun fact hidden in this chapter. First person to find it gets a prize, maybe? I'd like to give some sort of prize but I don't know what I could do, so if you have suggestions please tell me.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Once again I apologize for the amount of time to make this update. I had some writers block. So far it seems that you all like Gabriel. If that is true then you'll all probably enjoy this chapter seeing as it revolves around him. I decided to deviate from Harry and Hermione for a bit to help you understand Gabriel. Also for those of you who wish to know the fun fact from the previous chapter has been discovered. It wasn't written in a review but it was discovered by none other than Shizuku Tsukishima749. I did give her a hint though. So here's the fact. Gabriel's initials are the opposite of Hermione's initials. Yeah it was that simple. I might put more fun facts later on.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything but my original character and my imagination. I would also say plot, but most plots are clichéd.**

Chapter 8

The Slytherin boy trudged his way from the hospital wing, where he once again had failed to make friends at Hogwarts. He never had problems making friends when he went to a muggle school so why was it so difficult now that he was in a wizarding school.

'That was just great Gabe, just great. Why did you have to act like that?' he thought. 'You tried that approach before. It didn't work then so why would you think it would work now?'

'I didn't. I knew very well that it wouldn't work' he answered his own rhetorical question. 'But a friendship built on false pretenses isn't exactly what I'm looking for.'

'You could have at least had friends, you idiot.'

'Don't call me an idiot, you idiot.'

'You do realize that by calling you an idiot I am also inadvertently calling myself an idiot.'

'Shut up.'

'I would shut up if only you were to shut up; we're the same person.'

'Shut up.'

'This is just great. Not only am I having conversations with myself, now I'm also telling myself to shut up. This is just great.'

'You really need some friends.'

'That's what I've been saying!'

'Right.'

In plain honestly, Gabriel wasn't exactly friendless at Hogwarts, though he wouldn't actually say that. Most people he knew here were merely acquaintances in his mind. Some hated him, others didn't. But he could never refer anyone in Hogwarts as his friend.

At times he thought that he could make more friends by being more outspoken. It never worked for him. This was probably because he didn't have that charismatic attitude that some people are just born with. He never did stand out too much in a crowd.

That fact was quite fine with him. He never was one to hog the spotlight. As with any other person though, he did occasionally wish to be the center of attention. But for the time being his position in life was doing him well.

His social status though wasn't fine with him. Spending months in a school with no one to talk with was definitely not doing him well, especially considering that when he went to muggle school he had plenty of friends. He couldn't get used to the change that had occurred. A change that had all happened the moment he was sorted.

_He was eagerly awaiting his turn to get sorted while fervently praying that he would get into Gryffindor as his mother had always hoped, though he was certain that he would end up in Hufflepuff. That wouldn't be a bad thing of course; he had family members that had been Hufflepuffs._

_So as he sat down and had the Sorting Hat placed upon his head he felt his heart begin to race. The pounding of his heartbeat rang in his ears. The palms of his hands had become sweaty. He could hardly breathe. He had never been more petrified in his life._

'_Interesting, very interesting; you're a peculiar one Mr. Hunter, very difficult to place, very difficult indeed.'_

'_Difficult because I'd fit well in any House?' Gabriel questioned._

'_Quite the contrary, you're difficult to place because you don't seem to fit well into any of the Houses,' he gulped and waited hoping for an explanation. 'You have courage, but allow your fears to shape your judgment. You are wise beyond your years, but you do not see the full value of the knowledge you hold. You are loyal to a fault, but always question others motives. You should belong in Slytherin, but you're not a Slytherin,' Gabriel sat there puzzled. That was it; he simply didn't fit in._

'_Why is that?' he couldn't help but question. 'Why am I not a Slytherin?'_

'_In essence, Mr. Hunter, you'd make the perfect Slytherin, but there is one problem. That which all Slytherins desire is what you fear the most, but then again you do desire it as well, don't you?' he didn't answer. 'So you do. Then I guess you're in SLYTHERIN.'_

That was the moment that lead to all this. He never understood what the sorting hat meant that day. He thought about it frequently, and had gone to unfathomable lengths to comprehend the meaning of those words. Was he truly meant to be a Slytherin? Thus far it seemed that way. He did show true Slytherin traits; the traits Slytherins were known for prior to having been associated with being evil. Doubts about belonging elsewhere never drifted into his mind. He knew his place and was content with it.

The problem was in why he was different from other Slytherins. He knew that the Sorting Hat was telling him something. He was different and not only because he did his best to uphold what Slytherin once meant. He continued to contemplate this after making his way into the Slytherin common room.

He plopped himself onto the couch, stretching himself across it and laying his head on the armrest. He wasn't actually in the mood for more pointless attempts to understand a hat, but due to his lack of supplies for his 'experiments' as he would call them, he had nothing better to do. He closed his eyes reveling in clam that he was experiencing. His peace and quiet would be short lived though.

"Get off the couch!" a female voice called.

"Parkinson, what do you want?" he questioned not even bothering to open his eyes.

"I want you to get off the couch so I can do my homework. So get off."

"Sit somewhere else. I don't feel like getting up," he responded lazily.

"I don't feel like sitting somewhere else," she was getting irritated and he knew that she was.

"Well too bad. Frankly I don't care."

"Do I have to hex you?" she asked as politely as she could manage.

"Was that supposed to be a threat? Because I don't feel threatened. I really don't get it. I'm not intimidated when you're with Malfoy and his goons, yet you think you can intimidate me on your own," she knew this but did her best at being persistent.

At the present time her dorm was a mess and she didn't really feel like cleaning up, even with magic. Probably side effects of being raised a stuck up pure blood. She gave up knowing full well that she was foolish in her attempt. That had actually been a first, as she would never admit to having made a foolish mistake, let alone making a mistake in the first place.

"You wouldn't act like this if you were a pure blood," she said as she exited the common room.

"Maybe I would."

He had his peace and quiet again though at this point he had forgotten what he had been doing previously. He cursed himself for having such a short attention span. After some thought he remembered that he hadn't visited his owl in a while; he never really wrote much letters home.

He made his way to the Owlery passing other students on his way there. None of which of which gave any indication of noticing him despite the fact that he had just been a Quidditch match. It was like he was a ghost. Actually that would be incorrect because everyone always notices the ghosts. He made his way to the Owlery and proceeded to find his owl. Upon entering a large gray owl flew up to him.

"Hey there Shadow, you miss me?" he said as he began to stroke the owls head. "I'm sorry I've been around lately, but you know how things are," he smiled at his pet, his only comrade throughout his three years at school. As he began to feed his pet footsteps could be heard ascending the stairs. He turned to the direction of the entrance as a young Asian girl entered.

"Hey Cho," he greeted waving his hand.

"Hi Gabe," she responded with a bright smile. "It's nice to see you."

"Nice to see you too. You doing to send a letter?" she nodded. "You can use Shadow if you want. He hasn't been able to spread his wings in a while."

"Thanks," a smile made its way upon her face which made him smile as well. "You know, you were lucky in that match against Gryffindor. Too bad you were only a substitute. If not then I'd be able to show you how a _real_ Seeker flies."

"A _real _Seeker?" he said with a smirk and a glint in his eye. "And what exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"It means you have a lot of work to do. Starting with learning how to fly," she retorted with a smirk of her own. He faked a hurt look and placed a hand to his chest as though her words had pierced through his heart.

"You shouldn't kid around like that. You know I'm a good flyer, not great but a least good," a moment of silence overtook the pair. They didn't really have much to talk about. "How's your mom?" he asked.

"She's been fine. How's your cousin? I hear she's trying to get a job at the Ministry."

"Yeah, she has. She's interested in being an Auror. I might follow her someday," he began to think of the bright future that he had always envisioned.

"I hope she makes it."

"Me too. Well I should get going. Tell your mom I said hi."

"Sure."

As Gabriel left he couldn't help but think that he extremely exaggerated the whole friendless ordeal he was going through. It wasn't necessarily true, and there were those who had accepted him for who he was. There were probably some liked his eccentric nature. His life wasn't that bad. He was content with how it was, and wouldn't mind if it didn't change for years. Little did he know that his life would be taking a drastic turn, one that could send his life into a downward spiral.

**A/N: There you go. I hoped you enjoyed this chapter, and that you were able to learn more about Gabriel. Until next time.**


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